Thursday, May 31 2007

The current theme of Google’s swag is easy to spot. The last one was flashing bulb.

On another note, I’ve the latest version of Window Live Writer – offline blogging software – and it has a new (to me anyway) plug in: Spaces Emotions. My slight problem is that I don’t know what they mean. Like these:

They are there to be used so be warned that I will use then in the wrong context. hmm, these smiles don’t go very well with my template so maybe not…

Wednesday, May 30 2007

Back no 1: flashyshades.com – get your fix of sunglasses. The blogger went AWOL and that hurt real baaad 😉 – just goes to show how addictive this blog is.

Back no 2: UK’s Big Brother. I know many other countries has BB too but nobody does it even close as good as the UK version (no, I have not seen the other ones). We are talking a 24 hour mainly live coverage on a digital channel plus 2 or 3 daily shows on the main channel. There is endless supply of nutters in the UK that wants to be on TV over the summer. This year, only female housemates. It is gonna be a good one and I have to root a bit extra for Carol, 53 from East London. Tracey is man – I am sure of it, pink hair or not. And there is wannabe Victoria”Posh”Beckham too. Here they are.

Monday, May 28 2007

Ron Dennis of the McLaren F1 team is sooooo two-faced. When his team is doing team orders, he is using smart language to defended himself. When Ferrari came close to it, he was one of loudest loud-mouth around moaning & complaining & bitching about it.

Even MH is being two-faced about it, he was such a pain in my arse and the grief I had to take from him when it was Ferrari related. Now it is like so low-key and even robbing the talented British driver Lewis Hamilton of a potential win – it is not such a big deal anymore. At least the Brit press is up in arms about it 🙂

Personally, I want to see team orders, unlimited spending, no limits on engines and tires, no race fuel during Q3 and uncensored team radios. Lets have this sport full on.

And oh I just have to mention that loser David Coulthard also should bit the grass real hard … he so knew what he was doing when he blocked Kovalienen during the quali and ruining the guy’s hot lap. David Coulthard has obviously learned his old boss Ron Dennis when it comes to being a loud mouth of other people’s mistakes and then go and do it themselves.

I still miss Michael!

These days I find myself hoping that Lewis Hamilton should win. Kimi Raikkonen is coming a distant second cos I don’t think he will win. He lacks commitment – as highlighted in a previous post – and the anon source from McLaren who said “You have to build a tank” for Kimi to drive looks to be spot on. He drove his Ferrari into pieces in Monaco.

Friday, May 25 2007

Our lease is coming up for renewal, and we have received our offer: The new rent with over 10% increase *boohoo*

We were – obviously – not happy about that. We spoke to the lease manager during the week, and it turned out that he had done his math wrong and increased the rent too much. Also, our lease was less then 12 month so in fact the increase was much more then 10%. But they would not budge.

Nothing is included in our rent, we pay separately for trash, water (Very expensive!!), electricity and insurance. If we want to get a parking space here, we have to pay extra and we would not get a designated place – they have some sort of valet parking.

We have been looking at Craigslist – it is after all San Francisco 🙂 – and realised that for a higher rent we would get more for our money. Utilities, parking space, sometimes internet are included. Some of the places even has the washer/dryer unit in the flat.

Am I becoming a Housewife?? I got so delighted to read one ad that a Miele washer in the flat but the place is in a dodgy area. I don’t like these crud US appliance that I have come across – they are not doing their job properly!!

Tomorrow we have two viewing’s in the same area as we live now. Just maybe one of them will be right.

Today, I also called DMV. We need to get CA drivers licence and start that process. We have to do a written test for $27 each, fill in some forms and I am sure there will be something else while we are down there. I did two online tests and let just say I need to brush up one or two facts 😉 The good thing the material is available free online.

Monday, May 21 2007

With my last post about Du’a Khalil Aswad, I got a first time commentator and the comment was only a link, which in my views is equal to spam.

My dilemma is that the url was on topic. I wrote an email to this person, to give it a 2nd chance. “I have had a quick look at your website and it looks genuine to me but since you only put a link as comment, that nothing more then spam. Hopefully you can add some words and more of your thoughts then only posting a link … until then I will not approve your comment.”

The reply I got back shows that this person is a lobbyist and worse, not understanding the blogosphere. And being a lobbyist for a good cause – that is a crime.

“I have leaving a quick link on many many blogs and I have become to worn out to leave a comment on each one (oh the arrogance!! and this one-way corporate style is so old school and inefficient), particularly since I am chairing the debate at Amnesty International tonight and have many things to do. (Oh is that suppose to impress me and say Oh Ok then … let me be your slave and publish your links.) … You are welcome to delete the comment: the most important thing is to mention our petition” (You are so not getting it)

Lobbyist, if you are going to ‘use’ the blogosphere, at least understand the how it works. In short, it is all about: CONVERSATIONS

My blog rule: I am not going be talk to and being used. No matter what the cause is. It is up to the lobbyist to have the right knowledge to promote their cause.

What is different with this killing compared to all the previous one? Well, this time the crowd took out their mobile phones and the pics went on the internet. Apparently, there is even a YouTube clip out there – personally I don’t want to see it.

What is the motive to take these picture … to help the police investigate the crime? To spread the truth of what is going on their country? … or is it for entertainment?

Doesn’t these male relatives have anything better to do then kill one of their own relative?

How can anyone be so invested in family honour to be so incensed & mad to kill a girl? How can family honour be worth it?

What barbaric thoughts do that person have when he lifts a block of concrete and aim it at another persons head?

Is this the liberation that British and American solider’s are dying for?

I am so disgusted by this. This male rule and family honour bullocks are a disgrace to humankind.

Thursday, May 17 2007

Sunday, May 13 2007

Another day with a car = more pic & clips. I have been busy with my camera today and taken a couple of clips. The most traditional is going down the zig-zag part of Lombard Street.

We stared the day with a trip to Ritual Roasters but sadly they didn’t have any of that gorgeous Gingerbread and the chocolate chip cookie was below par. Afterwards, we went to Dolores Park and I took a 360 clip of it.

We also went to Treasure Island, the piece of rock that split the Bay Bridge and that most drivers think “One day I am going to take that exit and see what it is like” We did and yes, here is another 360 clip.

A week or so ago, part of the highway melted cos of a petrol truck exploded – and this is the state of repairs today.

The car goes back on Monday so this is the end of this run of sightseeing, pic and clips!

Friday, May 11 2007

I have been telling myself more & harder for each day gone “this is working fine” and it was the first 3 days … now I am fed up with the inlaws. They are not bad people at all and my family is certainly not perfect, in fact far from it.

But I am so tired of all the negativity and nitpicking … it is so tedious to be around people like that. MH can be the same and that is tedious as well. He and I have acknowledge that our families are v different but I don’t like their family model with all that negativity and confrontation.

All of us have being to trying to work out what to do this final weekend and every suggestions have been put down. One of mine was to drive down to LA and being touristy – oh no 6h30min is too long and this from a person that doesn’t drive. Now there is no plans for the weekend. I feel that who ever comes with the idea is responsible for an successful day. I have given my 2 cent and will not add anything more.

When I have been over at their place, I find it stressful and can never fully relax. Everything has to be exactly as is it and if I leave something out of place – it gets pick up and commented on. My values are that these are their rules and I have to do what I can to respect it.

The same courtesy is not being fully returned. It is minor things but with everything else going on – it bugs me.

One comment that really pissed me off. It was that I should get a job so I could offload the pressure on MH (her son). This is from a woman that has not had a full time job in years, and when her husband became seriously sick – not even then did she get a job. She has her own small business but that is not sustainable enough to be living on the income.

I kept my cool and just um’d and ah’d at the appreciate places as I couldn’t see what good any confrontation would bring – as we all had to go back to our 1 bedroom flat.

Moving to SF was MH’s idea and initiative to 100%. One of my stipulations to move here was that the situation should never be dependent if I had a job or not as the visa situation is beyond my control. It is up to him to carry the financial burdens.

While writing this I am getting more concerned of becoming a housewives with all the traps of no income can bring. The inlaws are also sitting in the room next to me and that feels weird. And that MH will read this too.